The Proudest of the Land
by LJHurley
Summary: Mohatu, great-grandfather of Simba, is left alone in the Pridelands to die. He defies destiny, and sets off in search of answers, who was here before him? Where did they go? And how can he make this land proud once more?
1. Pride Before a Fall

The Proudest of the Land

Chapter One

Pride before a Fall

The sun peeked delicately out over the African plains, as a new day erupted in the Pridelands. The majestic throne, Priderock, cast a growing shadow as the sun continued to rise, along with the lions within. 

The young king, fresh to the sovereign, approached the peak of Priderock and breathed deeply, forcing his giant chest out like and expanding tan balloon. The charming brown eyes scanned the expansive area before him, the world was such a large place, and Mohatu felt lonely in it. He hadn't been king for long, and felt more like somebody looking after the Pridelands until the real king returns from a break, rather than a real monarch. Being a king didn't count for much in the Pridelands anymore, the last royal couple had died alone in the sleeping cave, and Mohatu and his Pride had simply moved in to rule over the last few remaining creatures in the now desolate, empty lands. 

Once glorious and green, the Pridelands had become sandy and grey due to the seven-year drought. Mohatu may well be the largest lion to ever grace this world, but he also felt like the biggest failure. The few lioness who remained in his pride had only done so due to there inability to hunt, rendering them, unfortunately, useless. 

The great brown king's inside gnawed with hunger, and he became resound to the fact that he was about to face another day without food. At this rate a zebra would have to walk into his mouth.

"Mohatu?" came the croaked voice from behind the king. Mohatu turned, facing him were the 4 remaining lioness of his kingdom, his only company. The front lioness, Melisa, had obviously been appointed the spokes-lion for the group. She looked shyly down at the ground, her dusky coat glowing amongst the grey backdrop. 

"Yes Melisa?" responded the king.

"We want to leave. For good." she paused. "I'm sorry, but we just cannot live hear anymore. We've heard of a pride near the coastlands, that's where the others went, it's safer and easier to find food. Please let us go?"

This wasn't a surprise to Mohatu, he had been expecting this for a few days now, he couldn't force these wonderful lioness to stay, they would be condemned to death. He knew he must let them go, but he also knew he must stay, he didn't know much about being a king, but he knew not to leave Priderock to the mercy of any passing beast. He had to stay. 

"You can go." he said quietly. He turned away from the old animals and faced the sun again, staring deeply into the bright abyss before him, time seemed to stand still as Mohatu realised he was very much alone. He thought solemnly about the King and Queen before him, at least they died together, Mohatu would have to die alone. But he was a brave lion if nothing else, a reckless, perhaps stupidly, but brave nonetheless. His large frame could carry the heavy burden, and he was consigned to death, all alone at the top of Priderock. He had nobody to blame but his own idiotic self, he'd heard of the previous king's call for help, but by the time he and his pride had made the long journey to the Pridelands, the corpse of the King and Queen lay alone in the sleeping chamber. Mohatu shuddered at the memory, which had been placed firmly at back of his mind was now at the forefront, he wondered who'd find his body. Mohatu decided to go inside, the glare of the judgemental sun was getting on his nerves. He turned slowly on the spot and toddled back inside the sleeping cave, the rumbles of his stomach echoing around him. The darkness suddenly encased him, and he slumped onto the sleeping pedestal in the centre of the cave. He'd never realised how large the cave was, now it was empty it seemed so ominously big. Again Mohatu's mind drifted back to the King and Queen before him, the skeletal bodies they found trapped in this very cave, he should've known then it would be a disaster thought Mohatu bitterly. He didn't even know their names, he didn't even know who they were. He'd heard the distress call, he could remember it just like it was yesterday…..

The sun was shining and the birds were chirping as ever, the large pride of lioness jumped and fought around the watering hole. Mohatu looked at them with amusement. He eyed each one of them playfully, why couldn't he decide on a mate? Chuckling, he realised that trying to chose a mate from a huge host of beautiful lioness was hardly a problem. The bright blue sky hung above their heads, glowing warmly. The antelope gracefully hoped by in the distance, safe in the knowledge that the lioness had already had a morning hunt, if they kept a respectful distance away, they would be safe. The wind rushed in slowly, and Mohatu's mane ruffled in the wind, a few speckles of brown hair flew towards the clouds ass the wind moved upwards. His eye's suddenly caught that of a brazen pink flock of birds who seemed to be descending at an alarming rate towards the watering hole. Mohatu sat up, and starred, open-mouthed, as the flamingos swooped down upon them all. 

"The King calls for help!" came the cry as they landed. The large beak flapped up and down, as the bird at the front of the troupe tried to catch it's breath. "The King of the Pridelands requires help."

"Who?" asked Mohatu quizzically. 

"The King." came the sarcastic reply. "Needs. Help. Now."

"The King?"

"Yes."

"As in, a real King?"

"Yes."

"And what does he do?"

"Rules."

"Who? What?"

"You for one. And me. And everything you see."

"Well why does he need my help?"

"He needs any help, move towards the sun."

Mohatu suddenly came back to the cold hard reality facing him in the deserted cave, he wondered what the kingdom was like before he came. He wondered how great it must have been, how much the king must have been respected. He had to find out. Mohatu made a plan there and then, instead of laying here and waiting for death, he was going to set out and learn about the Pridelands, about the old King and Queen, and maybe he could bring it all back. He wasn't going to die alone, that's not what a King does he thought firmly. 


	2. The Darkness

The Proudest of the Land

Chapter Two

The Darkness 

A week had passed since the lioness had left Priderock, and Mohatu still wasn't any closer to restoring the Pridelands to it's former glory. Each morning, at the minor crack of dawn, the outlandish tan lion set off in a random direction searching for anybody who could help. Up to now, he'd only found a small group of wildebeest, who had bolted at the sight of a muscular lion bombarding towards them. He'd made only one rule in this search for the unknown; always return to Priderock before sunset. Anybody could invade his "home" after dark, and he was safer inside the confines of the 'rock than he would be lay in some random plains.

A new day arrived, and with it, another day without food, another day closer to death. Mohatu trudged down the rock face of Priderock, a looked out at the kingdom. His optimism from the week before had disintegrated into bleak disarray. He'd explored the northern and southern borders, and now had to chose between a journey into the shadow lands of the west or the costal zone heading east. Mohatu weighed up both options, either head east and maybe see the lionesses who had left him, or head west into the unknown. He couldn't face the lioness, so decided to venture west, it was the unknown he was seeking so he may as well head towards the mysterious shadow lands.

With a final raking look towards the east, Mohatu bounded off in the adjacent direction. As the large beast ran across the dusky ground, his eyes were constantly scanning for some sign of food, the whole area was deserted. As he continued to move forward, Mohatu noticed the ground and the surroundings grow darker and the his hunger now engulfed him, he could eat anything. He search the ground and skies looking for something, anything to eat. The dusky ground was heading towards a drop, and the great animals padded slowly to its edge, as he looked over into the crater, he felt physically sick.

Large, unsightly bodies, corpses, lay heaped upon one another. The smell made Mohatu recoil with horror, and sudden convulsion to vomit. The skin was rotting off the large skeletons, muscle tearing away from ligaments, the white tusks beginning to weaken and shatter. An open graveyard. What could have happened to these elephants thought Mohatu. His eyes bore into the bodies slumped in front of him, and he was suddenly remained of the horror image of the King and Queen, rotting in their thrones. He couldn't bare to look anymore, but before he dragged his eyes away he noticed a tail moving amongst the carcasses. In his starved, delirious, revolted state, he couldn't be certain, but he still bombed into the crater of skeletons and began to force his way through skin and tusks and flesh. The smell and the texture was making Mohatu's stomach turn, but it continued to rumble as he saw a pair of feet hop over a pile of bones and into the shadows. The sight of life spurred him on, and he rounded a corner which was actually a skull and made after the rapid animal ahead of him. He could see now that it was moving on all fours put was meant to be an up-right animal, it was a monkey.

The monkey scrambled ahead, Mohatu knew he couldn't keep this pace up for long, not on an empty stomach. A moment of joy came to Mohatu's brain as he realised the monkey was running into a wall, he was cornered. The brown beast bounded on, confident now of capturing the chimp. But he hadn't counted on the sprightly agility of the monkey as he scampered up the vertical boundary just in time for Mohatu to see it's tail disappear.

Mohatu felt even more sick than before, as he turned around to find his-self surrounded by death, it seemed to echo the inevitable approaching of his own demise. He looked around the bodies, and a disgusting thought crept into his mind, a thought which could only occur in the darkest of hours. Mohatu began to trod around the piles of bodies before settling on a skeleton with a full muscle of leg left from the rotting process. Mohatu sniffed at it, he shuddered at the stench. Looking to the sky, Mohatu wondered if it could ever get any worse than it is now. He'd truly sunk to the lowest depths of despair.

His eyes darted around, even though he knew he was very alone, he didn't want to be seen committing this most cardinal of sins.

He licked his razor-sharp teeth before plunging them into the dead meat of the elephant before him. The meat was dry and dusty and instantly made Mohatu regret his decision. He continued on anyway. He ate enough to drag his body back to Priderock, the sun now slowly lowering.

He lay in the cave, stomach full, but soul empty.

The king lay alone that night, apart from a pair eyes, watching him from the darkness.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, please review, positive or negative. Just a few seconds of your clicking, helps me keep writing. Thanks again, Liam.**


	3. The Dawn

The Proudest of the Land

Chapter Three

The Dawn

Mohatu slept poorly as usual, turning and scratching, his brain was restless. The guilt of his last meal weighed heavily on his conscience, and he hadn't left the cave since that night. His once strong features now looked gaunt, his barrel chest now seemed hollow and caved in, in short, he was a shadow of his former glorious self. Even his beautiful brown coat had a shade of grey in it, making him seem old and worn. Being alone did not suit Mohatu.

The pack of wild dogs had patrolled Priderock for a week now, the lion inside was alone and weak. Hyena's weren't stupid, they were cunning and had planned this for days now. A large group in size and number, the pack of 13 moved closer to the great stone. As the ground changed to adapt the sloping entrance, a few members of the pack stopped, scared.

"What is it?" growled Krash, the leader. He turned his head sharply and starred the 3 hyena's in the eyes, fear encased them. Honzai, starred at the ground quickly and muttered something inaudible. "What?" came the vicious question again from Krash, now growing impatient. Honzai exhaled deeply and looked back at Krash before finally saying;

"He _is_ a lion."

"He is only one lion. There are thirteen of us Honzai, or do you wish to make it twelve?" snarled Krash. Honzai muttered again, and Krash took this as a sign of acceptance. "Okay. Now, come on! Let's get it over with," exclaimed Krash, bounding up the rock face, his pack at his heels.

The hyenas snarled and spat as they ran towards the sleeping cave, Krash entering first. The vicious dog bombarded into the darkness, expecting to find a sleeping, weak lion, but instead met a stinging strike to the face which sent him sprawling to the ground, Mohatu stood over his limp body, fury in his eyes. The great lion raised his paw again, ready to strike a lethal blow, but was instead toppled over by three hyenas jumping at his chest.

Biting and clawing, the animals ripped at Mohatu's skin, desperation in their eyes. With all the strength he could muster on a stomach of dead meat, Mohatu swung his right paw, launching two of the hyena's into and adjacent wall, leaving the singular dog to the mercy of his booming left claw connecting with voracity to his jaw. The brown beast heaved heavily, but the rest bite was minimal, at the remaining hyenas had now entered the fray, and each one began to spit and bite with an aim to kill. Mohatu fought for as long as he could, but eventually sagged under the weight of 9 dogs biting and clawing his large face and back, the blood began to seep out of his head, causing his vision to become blurred. He swung a meek paw out, in hope, catching a smaller hyena with a glancing blow forcing the female to stumble and retreat. It still didn't help, as he felt the hyena's teeth bury deep into his spine, causing his hind legs to collapse. The dogs pinned him down, as Krash, face covered in blood made a lunge for Mohatu's face. As the great jaws locked around his snout, Mohatu began to lose consciousness. He felt death edge closer and closer, and as the darkness seeped in, he accepted his fate. Suddenly, a brilliant flash of blue and red, a familiar tail, and a scream echoed through the cave as Mohatu lost consciousness, just a stick swung at Krash's head.

The mandrill emptied a coconut shell's worth of water over the face of Mohatu, who suddenly spluttered and coughed his self awake. Upon waking, Mohatu realised he was lay on his back, a very unnatural position for a lion as large as he. He also saw leaves and branches above him, and understood he was in a very large, very old tree. As he went to stand, he realised he couldn't feel his legs, and his face and mouth were in great agony. He looked up at the baboon, his face a mask of blood and war-paint. He had also, clearly, been injured in the fight.

"Thank you." said Mohatu weakly, interrupting the monkey's silent gaze into the sky. The ape looked down on the injured tan king.

"Not te worry" came the kind reply. The monkey paused, clearly wanting to say something he had been curious about.

"What happened?" interrupted Mohatu. The young ape looked quizzically at Mohatu, before realising what he was referring to.

"Oh. Da hyena attacks you, I got you out, but dey have Priderok now." he said almost apologetically. The monkey ran a hand over Mohatu's portent ribs. "You need food."

Mohatu laughed, it's all he could muster now.

"Yeah, I do." he agreed.

"I am sorry I couldn't be your meal in da elephant gorge da ova day." said the monkey with a smile.

"It was you!" exclaimed Mohatu, but he wished he hadn't; the effort to shout had caused a great pain in his chest and winced in agony.

"Easy, easy!" calmed the ape, pouring more water onto the wounds along Mohatu's rib-cage. The eccentric monkey turned to give eye-contact to the lion. He pursed his lips before finally saying; "What has happened to de king?"

Mohatu thought for a minute, not sure of what the monkey was talking about. A silver lining of the hyena's brutal attack was that the image of the dead king and queen had been pushed to the back of his mind. But the monkey's question had brought it to the forefront.

"Dead." he paused. "I heard that he needed help. But by the time me and my pride had reached the Pridelands, the king and queen," he swallowed deeply. "were dead."

Something passed over the monkey's eyes.

"Okay. Thank you for your 'onesty" he looked the lion up and down. The monkey turned his back on the lion and began to mix all manner of condiments in a large bowl. Mohatu surveyed the monkey, and without thinking asked;

"Who are you?" The monkey didn't turn around, but still spoke.

"I am Rafiki." Mohatu knew now why he wasn't facing him, the monkey was crying. "Me and my Muvva used ta live in da Pridelands. When da great spirits did not bless da king with an heir, he stopped da hunting, claiming dat the Pridelands could not live if he could not pass his throne on. He went insane. All da herds left, there was no life. My Muvva asked if she could help, and da King demanded she leave too. It was only in his last days he found regret, and asked for help at last. I came to ansa da call. We had moved a very long way away, and I was too slow making da journey." Rafiki continued to sob, but placed the bowl at Mohatu's side. "Drink dis, it will help." he said, before jumping up to a high branch in the tree.

Finally, Mohatu had answers, he was lucky to be alive, and he was back on the track to health. At last, the light had arrived in his life.

**A/N: Thank you very much to all readers. Please review, just a few seconds. Thank you even more to the people who have already reviewed, your king words and suggestions do not go unnoticed! Til next time, Liam.**


	4. A Lesson Learnt

The Proudest of the Land

Chapter Four

A Lesson Learnt

Mohatu pulled his body to a standing position from the slumped way he had been previously stationed. He glanced up, and saw Rafiki perched on a tree branch, mumbling to the sky. The giant lion sighed, he was grateful to the monkey, but was growing frustrated with him with each passing day. All he did was mumbled and mix disgusting sediments for Mohatu to take every morning. The large wound on his back had finally began to scab over, but his knees still buckled if he walked for an extended period of time. He felt old, and passed a prime he'd never really had. Again, he sighed.

"Madi ao!" screeched Rafiki, looking to the skies. "Leka, sebete chia ho oele sebatha!"

"What are you doing?" snapped Mohatu.

Rafiki ignored him and continued to chant.

"Mo leka oeme o tsaba hoa!" he erupted once more, throwing seed to the air. After exhaling deeply, he turned his head and looked at Mohatu, who was clearly exasperated. "I am speaking to de great kings ov da past. Seeking council." he nodded.

Mohatu growled lowly, annoyed at another mysterious answer.

"What kings? Where?" he moaned. He stared at the young mandrill. He didn't have a wrinkle or a blemish on him, must only be a year or two old, yet he was much wiser than Mohatu was.

Rafiki stared back at the great beast and smiled.

"Before da king who you found, his fatha, and his fatha and his fatha as far back as anyone knows had ruled a land, not far from here."

Mohatu stared at Rafiki, who turned his back on him, continuing to mix in his bowl.

"And?" Mohatu groaned once more.

"Da last king, Caesa, moved his Pride to da Pridelands cos he thought it would be suitable. And for a while it was fine. But when da Queen did not have any cubs, da King became distressed." Rafiki stopped, and seemed to smell something on the wind. He snapped his head upwards and frowned. "He told da lioness to stop hunting, and dey all left da Pridelands for new Prides."

Mohatu shuddered at the sudden feeling of de ja vu which overcame him. His lioness had too adondoned him in his darkest hour.

"And da herbs got bigga and had more off-spring." continued Rafiki. "Da circle of life could not be completed, and so disease set in amongst the animals, and soon many began to die and da rain stopped falling. All da time da King sat in Priderock and refused to help." Rafiki paused again. "Hyenas began to rule, they hunted all animals and left them to rot. Da King would not help, but still da hyena would neva got near Priderock."

Mohatu shuddered, he had let the wild dogs into the 'rock, even Caesa hadn't done that he thought with embarrassment.

"Packs and herds began to leave, and they left behind only the ill, so da Pridelands had became infested with illness. Da King and Queen soon became sick, and I think he realised his sins, dats why he asked for help. Dats why you're here." he finished kindly.

Mohatu nodded solemnly, and Rafiki swung back up to the top of the tree. Continuing his chanting and incantations.

The tan of Mohatu's coat had slowly began to return, and he limped meekly towards only source of fluid in the Pridelands. A small watering hole, which was really just a large puddle, a collection of morning dew, with only enough substance to keep the lion going through the day. As Mohatu slumped over to the small bounty, he began to ponder his next move. He couldn't live with Rafiki forever, an hour with him was taxing enough, never mind a lifetime. His chances of returning to Priderock was even slimmer. There was no way he could take on that many hyena alone. Maybe he could head east and find his old Pride. But even that came with queries, they would ask questions. Why had he left Priderock? Why couldn't he survive alone? Was he a coward? He shuddered at the thought, but then realised it was probably the most reasonable of his choices.

He was going to have one finally sleep in the tree, and then set off towards the east at dawn.

**A/N Sorry for lack of updates, I've been really busy at University. Anyway, I know this chapter hasn't been up to much but the next one is gunna have a major plot twist. Please R+R! ****J Liam. **


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